Restaurants

By Sarah Guy

The only real failure here has been with the name – it’s a shame that ‘Bread & Wine’ is already taken – but it’s a dull moniker for what’s a handsome space in the cathedral crypt.

The restaurant has a separate entrance on the north side of the cathedral, together with the shop and the café. The latter two are busy with tourists, but the restaurant so far seems to be more of a hit with locals. And rightly so – it’s a light-filled space (there’s even some natural light) that gets better the more time you spend there. Beautiful oak tables are set a nice distance apart, and laid with mismatched antique cutlery, voluptuous water jugs and slate place mats; diners sit on comfortable Wegner wishbone oak chairs with gorgeous white rough linen napkins on their laps. The ground floor has earthenware tiles, the mezzanine herringbone seagrass matting; walls are painted cream and woodwork is picked out in sage green. It’s all very sensuous and textural – great for a restaurant, but slightly surprising in a place of worship.

Food – by caterers Harbour & Jones, with chef Candice Webber at the helm – follows through on this promise. Organic bread with Jersey butter, and juicy green marinated olives served in a little Kilner jar made a good foil for a Britain Royale aperitif (Carter’s English sparkling wine with Pimm’s). Asparagus and poached Gressingham duck egg was summer on a plate, while the sweetness of treacle-cured salmon was nicely offset by watercress. Next, good though a prettily pink Trigger Farm barnsley chop with mint jelly and earthy Jersey Royals was, it couldn’t compete with a portobello mushroom wellington served with spinach – this and the pastry in a pudding of gooseberry cobbler revealed a very deft pair of hands in the kitchen.

The global wine list showcases English winemakers, such as Chapel Down, Three Choirs and Carter’s, there’s beer from St Peter’s and the roster of soft drinks includes pressed juices from Chegworth Valley Farm. Staff are still finding their feet, but are eager to please – and pleased we were, especially at these prices. We’ll be back – we can’t wait to try the afternoon tea.

Time Out London July 2009